Friday, November 19, 2010

daily text 11/19

Friday, November 19th, 2010"Of what benefit is it for a man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his soul? What, really, would a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36, 37)

We know that Jesus did not come to earth to give us health, wealth, and a long life in this world. He came to open up the opportunity of living forever in the new world, and the prospect of that life is what we value highly. (John 3:16) A Christian would understand Jesus' first question to mean, "Of what benefit is it for a man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his hope of everlasting life?" The answer is, Of no benefit at all. (1 John 2:15-17) To help us answer Jesus' second question, we might well ask ourselves, 'How much am I willing to sacrifice now to make my hope of life in the new world sure?' Our answer to that question, as seen in our life course, reveals the strength of that hope in our hearts.—Compare John 12:25.(Watchtower issue: 10/15/08, 5:3, 4)A sister in my congregation made a really good comment in this regard, about how much time, energy, and money some people will expend pursuing endeavors that are actually futile or "fruitless" in the long run.She said, "How many people are willing to rearrange their circumstances in life, even uprooting themselves and their families by moving to another state or country, in order to work with "an expert" in their particular field? But we have the opportunity to be "fellow workers" with Jehovah, the greatest expert and teacher."

What she said was so true...the world is filled with all kinds of "experts" in the field of medicine and economics, who are highly sought-after by individuals all the time, wanting to improve their health, careers, or financial situation. So if people are willing to go to such lengths to seek out "human" wisdom & advice for improving their life, health, and future financial prospects, (which is temporary & short-term, at best), how much more should we be putting forth the effort to continue training & progressing spiritually, by making whatever adjustments are necessary in order to secure our "spiritual prospects" for the future?...(which is a far more valuable, long-term investment for life).